The Last Will and Testament of RJ Lupin
by daughter of lightning
Summary: Remus and Tonk's Will is discovered and it provides some new information regarding Harry, Ginny and their relationship to his godson, Teddy. A series of one-shots that all link together as the characters read Lupin and Tonks' final words to them.
1. 1 Will Discovered

"Welcome, Mr. Potter," the Ministry of Magic lawyer said, gesturing to a set of seats across from his desk, "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you Ludvick," Harry took the seat and reached out for Ginny's hand. "What's all this about though, I thought the custody business was settled a year ago."

"To be honest, I wasn't permitted to discuss it with you until this time. However, during the examination of the Lupin's house, a will was discovered in a clever spot, behind the lining of a painting of the moon."

"That's ironic," Harry chuckled; Ginny looked at him and squeezed his hand. She was worried about what the will would say and he knew it, he thought maybe she was worried that they wouldn't be able to see Teddy anymore.

"Well, ahem," Ludvick cleared his throat and straightened the papers on his desk, "I'll just read what's written here then, shall I?

'I Remus Lupin, being of sound mind, do hereby grant sole custody of my son, Theodore Remus Lupin, to his godfather, Harry James Potter in the event of the untimely death of myself and my wife. It is our wish that Harry, with contact and frequent visits with his maternal grandmother, raise Theodore. However, this custody shall only be granted if three conditions have been met.

i) Harry Potter is married

ii) Harry Potter _and_ his wife are over the age of 22

iii) Harry Potter has a stable job, in which he is living in the same spot, not on-location (e.g. teaching at Hogwarts)

Should all three of these conditions be met, we desire that Teddy live with his godfather. Until such time that all three of these terms are satisfied, Theodore is to live with Nymphadora Tonks Lupin's mother, Andromeda Tonks.

Our money is to be left in our vault in Gringots and used to pay for Teddy's education. When he comes of age, he shall be granted full access to the remaining finances.

Our home is to be sold to pay off outstanding debts; any profits made are to go into our vault.

Any possessions not deamed to have "sentimental value," as determined by Andromeda Tonks, Harry Potter, and Molly Weasley, are to be sold.

We have enclosed letters to those we feel must receive them, please ensure that they are delivered promptly, or on the specified date.

Until Harry Potter has become engaged of his own free will, without knowledge of the aforementioned conditions, he is not to know of the contents of this will. Inform him that the Ministry has granted Andromeda custody. However, be sure to enlighten Andromeda, as it would be cruel to rip Theodore from her without her knowing why.

Please give all our love to our son, Teddy.

Remus Lupin

Nymphadora Tonks'"

The lawyer finished reading and gestured to a stack of parchment, each inscribed with a name in black ink on the outside. Throughout the reading, Ginny's hold on Harry's hand grew tighter and tighter, when Ludvick had finally stopped talking, he reached out and covered Ginny's hand with his own.

She pulled her hand away staring at the glistening diamond on her left ring finger. She looked from it, with wide eyes and met Harry's green ones. With visably trembling hands, she turned her hand so Ludvick could see the ring Harry had given her a few years before.

"We're getting married in a few months," she said breathlessly.

"So after the wedding, Teddy will come to live with us, instead of Andromeda?" Harry was confused, he actually got to have Teddy all the time now- it sounded too good to be true.

"Well, yes, as specified in the Will, he is to live with you but maintain contact with Mrs. Tonks. In cases like these, I would recommend that you simply switch the arrangement, make it so that he spends weekends with Mrs. Tonks and will spend weekdays with the two of you. That is if you accept custody."

Harry turned to his fiancée, "Ginny, I know it's huge, but he's already spending so much time with us—"

Ginny cut him off, tears welling in her eyes, "Of course!" She practically shouted, then blushed, "Of course, we'd love it if he came to live with us. He's already got a room at the new house and everything."

"Excellent, Mr. Potter, as soon as the marriage is finalized, I'll have the necessary documents drawn up and sent to your office. These," he motioned again at the pile of parchment, "Weren't to be delivered until the will was read to you and it was Mr. Lupin's request that you be the one to deliver them, would you take them with you today, please?" He looked relieved to have gotten this matter over with and that it had all gone smoothly. No doubt he expected Harry to be mad that he hadn't heard the contents before, or that Ginny wouldn't want Teddy. Obviously neither scenario was the case.

"Perfect," Harry smiled, "Thank you so much Ludvick," he stood, shaking the short man's hand, and left the office hand-in-hand with Ginny.


	2. 2 Take Care of My Son

Ginny and Harry walked out of the Ministry into a bright, sunny London day, the letters from Remus and Tonks tucked safely away in Ginny's purse.

"We're about to be his legal guardians," Ginny smiled up to Harry.

"I know, I never really thought that would happen. Ginny, are you sure? I mean, you're only 21, and you've got your career to think about," he trailed off. Harry didn't want to convince Ginny not to adopt Teddy, but he wanted to be sure that she'd thought about it and was certain. This wouldn't be just a weekend visit.

Ginny stopped and turned to face him, once again meeting his eyes with all the determination in the world, her hazel eyes softened, "Harry, the only thing I've ever been more sure about is marrying you. In five months, we'll be married, moved into our new house, and I want to do all of that with Teddy. He doesn't just have two parents; he has four. We can never take the place of Remus and Tonks, I'm well aware of that, but I also know that we are his parents too. That child has only ever known one mother and one father," she put both hands on his chest, "And he is our son," she stood on her tiptoes, planting a soft kiss on his lips. Harry smiled broadly, wrapping both arms around Ginny's waist, lifting her up and spinning her in a circle.

"I love you so, so much, do you know that?"

"I do," she smiled, taking his hand and walking continuing down toward their flat in the city.

When they got home, Harry went to go put on a pot of tea, "You go," Ginny said, "I want to read what Tonks wrote me, I'm kind of in the mood for it now."

Ginny sat on the sofa and carefully broke the wax seal of the parchment. In Tonks' messy scrawl, she read to herself:

Ginny,

In my deepest heart of hearts, I believe that you and Harry are meant for each other. I wish you two all the best in the world and that you share all the love and happiness in the world. If and when you get married and when you turn 22, you will become my little Teddy's new mummy.

Be good to him, Ginny. I could not ask for a person more like myself to raise him. He is the best thing that I have ever done and it kills me to have to write this letter, knowing that I'm asking someone else to be his mum. You are so brave and bright, with such a fierce, protective attitude that I know that Teddy could not be in better hands.

I'm sorry to throw this at you, but I hope that you are okay with this and can be what he needs. He's just a baby, and needs a mummy, someone to wipe away his tears, make his nightmares go away, and kiss his boo-boos. Make sure he knows me, Ginny. I'm giving you my son, hoping that you will be the best mother he can have when I'm gone. Trust your instincts, and I foresee you being an amazing mother.

Take care of my son,

Tonks

'_Take care of my son…'_

_ '…could not be in better hands.'_

_ '…you will be the best mother…'_

Ginny read over the words again and again, Tonks, who had always been more of an older sister to Ginny than her parents' friend, was putting her child's life in Ginny's hands. She had never felt such happiness and guilt at the same time. Happy and proud that Tonks had chosen, really chosen her, and guilty that she had to make that choice, guilty that Ginny was raising her friend's son.

"Ginny? Ginny?" She finally heard Harry's voice as though from far off as he held a cup of tea out to her. "What is it?"

"She chose me," she said, "Before, it was when we were broken up, just after Teddy was born, she wrote this and said that I would be the best mother she could imagine for Teddy if she couldn't be there herself." She smiled, a bittersweet smile and met his bright green eyes.

"Of course you will be," Harry said matter-of-factly, "Ginny, you're the only mother he's really ever known. That boy loves you."

"I know, it's just, oh, can we pick him up tonight? I'm sure Andromeda would be okay with that. I just want to see his little face."

"He's not so little anymore," Harry laughed.


	3. 3 Please Understand

Andromeda Tonks watched as Harry Potter walked out of the café. She felt as though he'd just left a bomb in her lap. Although she knew it was coming, nothing could have prepared her to see her only daughter's handwriting again, each letter was like a knife going through her heart, remaindering her over and over again that Nymph was gone.

With shaking hands and tears already building behind her eyes, she slit open the letter and read slowly

Mum,

I am so, so, sorry, more sorry than you will ever know that you have to read this. Now that I am a mother, I truly understand the fear that one can have for one's child and the dread of outliving him is awful.

I love you more than you could possibly have known, each time I said that I hated you as a teenager… you have to know that I never once met any of it. As my rock, you were always the one person there for me no matter what, when I couldn't control my metamorphing or got picked on at school… when I got accepted into the Auror Academy, you were the 1st person I wanted to tell. It pains me to have to write this letter because you were truly the best mother that I could imagine. If I am half the mother that you were, Teddy will be a well-loved child.

If my instructions were followed properly, you would have been warned of this long ago, but I want you to be Teddy's grandmother. You've already had to raise one child, and it is not fair of me to expect you to do it again, you should get to experience every joy that life has to offer you and to enjoy my memory, not raise my son. With that being said, Remus and I have decided that once Harry turns 22, gets married, and lives in a house with a backyard, he is to get custody of Teddy. I made sure to specify that he is to always know you and see you often!

Mum, please understand that this doesn't mean that I thought you were a bad mother, or that I don't want you around my son, because that couldn't be farther from the truth. I want him to know you as a grandmother, to be spoiled and love you as a little boy should, not feel the angst and rebellion that one does toward one's parents. If you are reading this, than it means that the time for Teddy to officially live with Harry is coming up and I needed you to know how much I have always loved and respected you and that Teddy is so lucky to have you as a grandmother.

Thank you for taking care of him for the past few years, I know he has been well loved, and taken care of. Stay involved in Teddy's life; tell him stories of when I was a kid, tell him what things he does like I did, what parts of him remind you of me… and when he messes up, tell him it's okay, and that I did too. Make sure he knows just how much I love him.

To the best mother in the world, I know you'll be the best grandmother…

Love Always,

Nymph

Andromeda read her daughter's words over and over again. _So this is it,_ she thought, _Teddy really is moving on_.

Nymphadora had asked a few things of her mother, to understand, to be a good grandmother, and to remind Teddy who his mother was… All three of those things would be easy. Of course she understood, she was an old woman, and even she could see how much Harry and Ginny Weasley loved and took care of their godson. If she were to toot her own horn, she was already a good grandmother. Reminding Teddy of his mother would be the easiest thing in the world for Andromeda. Her daughter had been the strongest willed, most determined, most spirited person she'd ever met, and if the past few years were any indication, little Teddy was on his way to being exactly like his mother.

Andromeda folded the note back up and tucked it away safely in her bag, finished her tea, and walked calmly out of the shop, prepared to take her daughters wishes to heart.


End file.
